Safe Delivery of Newborns Law

On June 26, 2000, Michigan approved the Safe Delivery of Newborns law with an effective date of January 1, 2001. While targeting desperate parents, the law encourages the placement of their newborns in a safe environment as opposed to an unsafe environment.

If you can't keep your baby, there is a safe place nearby where you can leave your newborn, without giving away your name.

Go to an on-duty employee in any fire or police station or hospital, or call 9-1-1.

Within 3 days of birth.
It's safe, legal and anonymous.

To end the tragedy of newborns being abandoned and left to die, Michigan passed the Safe Delivery of Newborns law to make it legal for a parent to surrender the infant in a safe and anonymous way.

Within 3 days of the baby's birth, a parent can leave the unharmed newborn with an on-duty emergency service provider - that is, an employee who is inside a fire station, a police station, or a hospital; or to a 9-1-1 responder.

It's anonymous. No one else needs to know.

The parent can leave without giving a name. He or she doesn't have to answer any questions, but may choose to give basic health information to help the baby.

Surrendering a newborn is safe for both the mother and the baby.

The mother can ask for confidential medical and counseling services.

The infant will be examined by a doctor and given urgent medical care, if necessary.

Then the baby will IMMEDIATELY be placed with an approved prospective adoptive family.

Birth parents have 28 days to change their minds and petition the court to regain custody of the infant. After that, however, their parental rights will end and the baby will be eligible for adoption.

The plan is to make sure the baby has a loving family where he or she can grow up healthy and happy.